Turbofan engines generally include a fan and a core arranged in flow communication with one another. A first portion of air over the fan may flow past the core through a bypass passage (defined between the core and an outer nacelle assembly) and a second portion of air over the fan may be provided to the core.
The core of the turbofan engine generally includes, in serial flow order, a compressor section, a combustion section, a turbine section, and an exhaust section. In operation, the air provided to the core flows through the compressor section where one or more axial compressors progressively compress the air until it reaches the combustion section. Fuel is mixed with the compressed air and burned within the combustion section to provide combustion gases. The combustion gases are routed from the combustion section to the turbine section. The flow of combustion gasses through the turbine section drives the turbine section and is then routed through the exhaust section, e.g., to atmosphere.
For at least certain gas turbine engines, the nacelle assembly includes a thrust reverser system. Typical thrust reverser systems include a translating cowl (“tanscowl”), a cascade mounted within the nacelle assembly, and blocker doors movable between a stowed position and a deployed position. The cascade is typically a fixed structure, whereas the transcowl is adapted to be translated aft to expose the cascade and deploy the blocker doors into the bypass passage. When the thrust reverser system is not in use, the blocker doors may cover the cascade. By contrast, when the thrust reverser system is in use, the blocker doors extend into the bypass passage, blocking an airflow through the bypass passage, and forcing such airflow through the cascade. The cascade may then change a flow direction of an airflow therethrough to generate a reverse thrust. However, such a configuration may negatively affect the airflow through the bypass passage, as the blocker doors may be exposed to such airflow when stowed. Alternatively, the blocker doors may be enclosed within the nacelle assembly when stowed, however such may result in a larger than desired nacelle assembly.
Accordingly, certain thrust reverser systems have been developed that do not require blocker doors. Such thrust reverser systems may instead translate the cascades into the bypass passage using a plurality of drag links. However, the drag links of such thrust reverser systems still extend through the bypass passage even when the system is stowed.
Thus, a thrust reverser system for a gas turbine engine that does not require blocker doors or drag links extending into and/or through a bypass passage would be useful. More particularly, a thrust reverser system for a gas turbine engine including a deployment means that does not interfere with an airflow through the bypass passage would be particularly beneficial.